About Trout Unlimited

Trout Unlimited is a national organization with 300,000 members and supporters organized into over 400 chapters and councils nationwide. These dedicated grassroots volunteers are matched by a respected staff of organizers, lawyers, policy experts, and scientists, who work out of more than 45 offices across the country. Our mission is to conserve, protect, and restore North America's cold-water fisheries and their watersheds.

Position Summary

This position will begin in September 2018 and is a one-year full-time AmeriCorps Member position sponsored by the Appalachian Forest and Heritage Area and Trout Unlimited. The position is housed within the Trout Unlimited West Virginia Field Office in Davis, West Virginia.

Since 2005, TU has been working in the headwaters of the Potomac River watershed in West Virginia to protect, restore, and re-connect native brook trout resources. Through TU's Potomac Headwaters Home River Initiative (PHHRI) staff works with public and private landowners to restore riparian and in-stream habitat, stabilize eroding stream banks, mitigate barriers to aquatic organism passage, and monitor projects for success. The PHHRI is spearheaded by TU; however, a variety of other partners are actively engaged in the project, including TU council and chapters, state and federal agencies, landowners, industry, land trusts, and watershed groups.

This is an excellent opportunity to gain professional experience while serving your community. The AFHA AmeriCorps/TU Position, known as the West Virginia Volunteer Restoration and Monitoring Organizer, will focus on promoting awareness of restoration activities available to TU grassroots members through presentations to local TU chapters, TU council, partners, and media. This position will organize, coordinate, and assist a cadre of volunteers who regularly assist TU in the installation of riparian and in-stream restoration projects, as well as, stream monitoring across the Potomac.

Stipend: AmeriCorps Members receive $12,630 annual living stipend and an education award of $5,815 toward qualified student loans or future tuition, with most student loans deferred during service.

Duties and Responsibilities

Volunteer coordination and management for restoration projects and workshops

Assist with fish community, benthic macroinvertebrate and water quality monitoring

Regular email and phone communications with volunteers and partners

Production of outreach material to social and local media outlets

Public speaking and presentations to local chapters and partners

Reporting on volunteer participation and data collected during workshops

Assist TU staff with the installation of riparian and in-stream restoration projects

Fieldwork is a large component of this position with an estimated 40% of the member's time spent on field work and monitoring projects, and 60% of the member's time for communications and outreach. Most projects contain a volunteer management component.

This is not an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities.

Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree or Higher. Preference given to candidates with a major of Biology, Agriculture, Wildlife and Fisheries Resources, Environmental Sciences or other related degree. Preference will be given to advanced degree holders